Baling-press.



PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

H. A; STARR. BALING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.13, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Z 477; wvemtoz,

PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

H. A. STARR. BALING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED O0T.13. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

lflllr/l/lMrll/ VIIIMQ vi tneooeo 1n: "cams pzrmzs (.0, WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

HILLYARD A. STARR, OF EAST CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO 'CHATTANOOGA IMPLEMENT AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF EAST OHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

BALlNG-PRESS,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

Application filed October 13, 1904 Serial No. 228,299.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HILLYARD A. STARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Baling-Press, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a novel balingpress of that type which is characterized by positively-acting power mechanism for urging the plunger forward and a spring or other reactive mechanism for effecting the sudden retraction or rebound of the plunger when the stroke has been completed. It is well recognized that in presses of this type the shock of the retraction is liable to efiect breakage or derangement of the parts, and in any event the wear occasioned by the violent retraction of the plunger is greater than that incidental to the baling of the material. Therefore the present invention is directed primarily to the provision of means whereby the quick retraction of the plunger will bev permitted, but the violent shock incident to its arrest at the completion of its retractile movement will be eliminated.

To the accomplishment of this primary object and others subordinate thereto, as will more fully appear hereinafter, the invention in its preferred embodiment resides in that construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and succinctly defined in the appended claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of my press with one side of the sectional plunger-apron broken away to disclose hidden parts. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the plunger operating and retracting mechanism with the sweep-head and sweep indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the supporting-casting of the power mechanism. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the capplate. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the plunger. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through the plunger, reach-casting, and press-box. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the plunger and associated parts. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the reach-casting, and Fig. 9 is a transverse section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

' 1 indicates the press-box, preferably constructed of steel and supported in any suit able manner. At the front end of the boX 1 is riveted the rear end of the reach casting or plate 2, provided with a transverse oifset 3 of a depth equal to the thickness of the bot tom wall of the box 1 in order to locate the upper surface 4 of the front end of the casting 2 flush with the bottom of the baling-chamber, the bottom wall of the press-box being abutted against the offset 3. (See Fig. 6.) The front end of the casting 2 is formed with a reach-socket 5, beyond the opposite sides of which brake flanges or shoes 7 rise from the surface 4, with their rear ends curved outwardly, as indicated at 8, and their front ends curved inwardly or toward each other, as indicated at 9. The purpose of these bpiake flanges or shoes 7 will appear hereina er.

One end of the reach 10 is extended into the socket 5, where it is secured by a key, and the opposite end of said reach is connected to the supporting-casting 11 of the power mechanism of the press. This power mechanism may be of any approved form, but it preferably includes an oscillatory plunger operating or driving arm 12 and a rotary power-head 13, the former afforded a bearing on the stud 14, formed on the member or casting 11, and the latterto wit, the i headhaving a bearing in a socket member 15, likewise formed on the casting 11, as shown in Fig. 3. The driving-arm 12 is retained in place by a cap-plate 16, engaging the stud 14 and the socket member 15 and bolted securely in position. The head 13 is provided with terminal rollers 17, which as the head is rotated by a sweep 18 engage the driving-arm 12, as indicated in Fig. 2, and swing said driving-arm for the purpose of urging the plunger forward to compress the material in the baling-chamber, the plunger being connected to a pitman 19, likewise connected at its opposite end to the driving-arm 12 in a manner which need not be further explained. When the plunger has completed its stroke, the head 13 will move out of engagement with the drivin -arm 12, and the plunger, pitman, and arm will be'quickly retracted to their normal positions by aretracting-spring 20, connected at one end to the pitman 19 and at its opposite end to the supporting-casting 11, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The mechanism thus far described constitutes no part of my present invention, but is incorporated herein in order to complete the disclosure of an operative mechanism.

The plunger 21, mounted to reciprocate in the press-box 1, is in the form of a single casting comprising a pressure-plate 22, a top plate 23, to which the folding apron (not shown) is secured, side plates 24, and a pair of horizontal plates 25 and 26, extending between the side plates or walls 24 and pro vided with openings 27 and 28 for the reception of trunnions 29 at the end of the pitman. The opening 27 is in the form of a slot, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, to facilitate the detachment of the pitman from the plunger when necessary.

Extended from the side walls or plates 24 of the plunger are a pair of steel spring-plates 30, therear end portions of which are comparatively wide and stiff to retain a pair of outward offsets 31 against the side walls of the press-box for the purpose of preventing lateral movement of the plunger during its stroke. These offset portions 31 of the spring-plates are stiffened by a transverse brace 32, and those portions of the plates extended beyond the offsets 31 and the brace 32 are comparatively narrow in order to form a pair of resilient brake-springs 33, longitudinally curved, as shown in Fig. 7, and designed to contact with the brake flanges or shoes 7 and to be forced inward toward each other bysaid shoes as the lunger is retracted. The resistance opposed y the springs 33 to their inward movement as they travel along the shoes cushions the rebound of the plunger and without materially reducing the prompt return effectually eliminates the usual shock and causes the plunger to come to rest with an ease of movement, which greatly reduces the wear incident to the operation of the mechanism.

In order to compensate for the weakening of the springs 33 incident to their continued use, I prefer to provide tension-regulating mechanism, which may be readily adjusted without disorganizing the parts. At intermediate points of the springs 33 they are formed with inward offsets 34, through which are passed the opposite ends of a spring-stem 35, secured rigidly to one of the springs and passed loosely through the other. Encircling this stem 35 is a spiral spring 36, bearing at one end against the loose spring 33 and at its opposite end against a regulat ing-nut 37, screwed upon the stem 35 and designed to be adjusted longitudinally thereof for the purpose of increasing or decreasing, as the case may be, the resiliency of the spring 36 and the separative force exerted thereby upon the brake-springs 33.

It will thus be seen that the plates 30 constitute guides for the plunger and that their free end portions serve the additional function of brake-springs for cushioning the arrest of the plunger at the end of its retractile movement. It may be also noted that the springs 33 and 36, together with the means for adjusting the latter, constitute a frictional braking or cushioning mechanism ineluding means for regulating the resistance opposed to the retractile plunger movement.

It is thought that the foregoing description of the invention is suflicient for the purposes of this disclosure; but while the construction illustrated and described appears at this time to be preferable I reserve theright to effect such structural changes, modifications, or variations as may come fairly within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim is a 1. In a baling-press, the combination with a press-box, a plunger, and plunger-operating mechanism, of means serving both to guide'the plunger during its entire stroke and to cushion the retractile movement of said plunger.

2. In a baling-press, the combination with a lunger and plunger-retracting mechanism, 0 a pair of fixed brake-shoes, a pair of brakesprings movable with the plunger to engage the shoes, and tension-regulating mechanism common to both springs.

3.. In a baling-press, the combination with a plunger and plunger-retracting mechanism, of a pair of brake-shoes, a pair of brakesprings movable with the plunger to engage the shoes and to be urged toward each other thereby, and means intermediate of and common to both brake-springs for urging the same apart. 4. In a ba]ingpress, the combination with a plunger, brake-shoes, and plunger-retracting mechanism of a pair of brake-springs movable with the plunger to engage the shoes, a' stem secured to one brake-sprin and passed loosely through the other, a spira spring encircling the stem and bearing at one end against the brake-spring through which the stem is loosely extended, and a regulating-nut adjustable on the stem and opposed to the opposite end of the spiral spring.

5. In a baling-press, the combination with a pressbox, a plunger mounted to reciprocate therein, and plunger-operating mechanism including a reactive retractile device, of a pair of plates secured to the plunger and en- 12o gaging the side walls of the press-box to constitute plunger-guides, said plates being extended to form brake springs and fixed brake-shoes disposed to engage the springs to resist the final portion of the retractile move- I 2 5 ment of the plunger.

6. In a baling-press, the combination with. a press-box, of a reach-casting secured thereto and provided with a reach-socket and a brake-shoe, a plunger mounted to recipro- I 0 to and provided with a reach-socket and with a pair of converging shoes located at opposite sides of said socket, a plunger mounted to reciprocate in the press-box, plunger-retracting mechanism, and a pair of brakesprings extended from the plunger and disposed to engage the brake-shoes.

8. In a baling-press, the combination with a plunger and plunger-retracting mechanism, of a pair of brake-shoes, a pair of cooperating brake members movable with the plunger, and a spring interposed between the brake members and arranged to urge the same in opposite directions to frictionally engage the shoes.

9. In a baling-press, the combination with a press-box, a plunger, and plunger-retracting mechanism, of a pair of plates secured to the plunger and engaging the side walls of the press-box to constitute plunger-guides,

and brake-shoes disposed to engage said plates to resist the final portion of the retractile movement of the plunger.

10. In a baling-press, the combination with a press-box, of a reach-casting secured thereto and provided with a brake-shoe, a plunger mounted to reciprocate in the pressboX, means for retracting the plunger, and a brake member carried by the plunger and movable into engagement with the shoe.

11. In a balingress, the combination with a press-box, o a reach-casting secured thereto and provided with a pair of converging shoes, a plunger mounted to reciprocate in the press-box, plunger-retracting mechanism, and a pair of laterally-movable brake members extended from the plunger and dis posed to engage the brake-shoes.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HILLYARD A. STARR.

Witnesses:

E. H. SPENCER, ROY C. SMITH. 

